


All For Freedom and For Pleasure

by Meowser_Clancy



Series: Madney Moments [2]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: F/M, FWB, Friends With Benefits AU, Sexy Times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:53:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24222367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meowser_Clancy/pseuds/Meowser_Clancy
Summary: Maddie is recently divorced and just wants to get on with her new life in LA. Chimney wants to get to know Buck's sister better. Gunshy, Maddie doesn't want to be in a new relationship yet but who says you have to be dating to have sex? Friends With Benefits AU. Complete with epilogue :)
Relationships: Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Series: Madney Moments [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748338
Comments: 11
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maddiebuckleys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddiebuckleys/gifts).



A/N: Hey y'all. This is an AU where Maddie divorced Doug before coming to LA to work in the call center. Doug was a POS but not abusive as he was in the show. She and Chimney are just getting to know each other.

Shoutout to the "2 Madney fans" Audrey and Angel, I hate that y'all are going through this harassment again but know that you two are some of my favorite people.

Love you both ~Meowser

* * *

Maddie stood at her dresser, putting earrings on before looking at herself in the mirror again. Was she sure about this? She wasn't stupid, she could tell that Chimney liked her and that this whole setup tonight was Buck's clumsy way of getting his sister on a date.

She looked at her phone, waiting for it to buzz. Five, four, three…

She counted down in her head and sure enough, there was a new text from Buck.

**Hey I'm running late. Go ahead and meet Chimney at the bar without me and I'll be along later.**

She could see through his ruse a mile away but she decided to let this play out, see how the evening went.

 **Sounds good.** She replied.

She smoothed her hands over her close fitting black dress. She was dressing it down with sneakers but it was still a very sexy outfit. She had to admit that there was a part of her which was as interested in Chimney as he was in her, but she knew she wasn't ready for a relationship yet.

She'd have to let him down tonight, she knew. Let him know that it was too soon for her to do this.

But…

She slipped on a denim jacket, grabbing her purse. She could have a nice evening out first.

* * *

Chimney checked his phone for the seventh time in two minutes. A text buzzed and he breathed out, his hand clutching harder on his beer.

**Hey I'm running late. Maddie is going to meet you there.**

Buck!

 **Buck you can't do this. I told you not to do this when you suggested it earlier. Maddie's not ready for this.** He replied.

Buck's reply came too soon. **I'll be there later**

Chimney groaned. Not that he wasn't looking forward to spending the evening with Maddie, because he was, but he knew she'd think he'd asked Buck to do this.

"Chimney!"

He heard her voice, feeling his breathing get shallow. He was so fucking nervous. It was so unfair of Buck to do this to them. And of course he'd waited until Maddie was almost there to tell Chimney so that Chimney couldn't back out.

He turned around to greet her, the word Maddie freezing on his lips at the sight of her. She'd done her makeup and she was wearing heeled sneakers, paired with a tight black dress that was barely covered by a denim jacket.

She looked hot as hell. Chimney suddenly wondered if he was the one that couldn't handle this.

"Maddie," he finally said. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Chardonnay," she replied, settling onto the stool next to him. "How's the game going?"

"Oh, I haven't been paying attention, I don't really follow sports," Chimney said. "Do you?"

"Not a fan," she said. "Books are my thing."

"Right," he began. "And you haven't seen Mission: Impossible either."

"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?" She teased back. "I shouldn't have asked you guys to help me move in."

"No, no," he said. "I'll stop."

She smiled at him, a bright smile that made his knees go weak. "Hey," she said, sobering a little. "Let's call this what it is. My brother set us up."

"Did he?" Chimney wondered, taking a drink of beer.

"Don't play coy," she said. "Chim, I can tell that you like me."

"Maddie, I'm not trying to force you into anything," he said, his cheeks getting hot.

"I know," she said, and lay her hand over his as if to comfort him. He swallowed at the sight, and glanced back at her face. "Chim, I'm not ready for a relationship. That being said, if I was, you would be the only person I'd want to date."

"You don't have to make me feel better," he said. "I'm a big boy. I can handle rejection." It's not like he wasn't used to it.

"You don't get it," she said, moving closer to him. "Chimney, this isn't rejection." Her eyes were warm and brown. "I want this," she whispered, so close now he could reach and touch her. "But as much as I'd love to kiss you right now, I'm afraid I'd be leading you on. I don't want to date right now."

He felt his heart pound in his ears. "What if it wasn't leading me on?" He asked, voice low.

"What?" She questioned, moving closer so she could hear him.

"Let's say I understand this," he said. "You're not ready for a relationship but you want to...kiss me."

She bit her lip, her cheeks bright red now. "Maybe I want to do more than kiss you," she admitted. "But I can't do that to you."

"You could," he told her, his hand daring to touch her waist. "I'm a big boy, Maddie. I can handle a no strings attached fling."

"You're better than a fling though," she said, but he could see that her body was reacting to his touch.

"Maddie, I'll take what I can get," he replied. "Anything that you want to give."

Her eyes rose to meet his, and he could tell they were on the verge of something.

"Chim, Maddie!"

Buck! He'd actually shown up, but why?

Chimney jerked away from Maddie like he'd been shot, turning to see Buck pushing through the crowd. "Sorry I was late," he said. "Traffic was murder."

Why had Buck even shown up? Both Maddie and he had seen through the ruse.

Maddie was sipping at her wine, not looking at Chimney.

The evening passed with Buck. They played bar games and at the end of the night, after Maddie left, Buck stared Chimney down. "So?" He asked. "Did you get enough time to ask her out for real?"

"Yeah, and she shut me down," Chimney replied. "She's not ready for this, Buck. Don't push us into something like this again."

"Fine," Buck huffed. "I'm so sorry I tried to help."

"No one was asking," Chimney said, patting his shoulder. "Thanks for trying."

He left a twenty on the bar and was just about to reach his car when his phone buzzed.

It was from Maddie. He felt his heart leap into his throat.

**Come over, if you want. No strings attached…**

Oh god. He knew he'd end up only more in love but he couldn't help it. Maddie Buckley beckoned and he'd be damned if he didn't answer.

* * *

A/N: Obviously Canon Maddie would never do something like this, but her situation is different in this AU. Maddie is such a resilient person and season 3 shows that once Doug is out of her life that she is so much more lighthearted.

Anyway. This is meant to be a super lighthearted fic so please don't think I'm making light of Maddie's situation.

This is my what if for Madney that doesn't include blood or heartbreak or any of the terrible things the writers made them go through. Enjoy :)

* * *

**C**


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie really didn't think that Chimney was going to come, and she sat in silence waiting for her phone to buzz with his reply. He'd probably just ignore her.

She poured herself another glass, musing on the evening, wondering why on earth she'd sent the text. She should seriously just text him again, tell him she'd made a mistake and that he was too good to be a rebound. She seriously shouldn't date him right now.

But when her phone buzzed, her heart leapt in her throat and she suddenly couldn't breathe. She didn't want to look. She couldn't look, couldn't bear to see what the answer was. What if he said no?

What if he said yes?

She hadn't had sex in a while, honestly, and she didn't know how that would go. Would she be able to make him feel good? Would she feel good or would she just become consumed with guilt and shut down halfway through? Were divorced women allowed to enjoy sex?

She rolled her eyes at her inner thoughts. Yes, of course divorced women could have sex. And that was what she planned to do...if he'd said yes.

She dived for her phone, now unable to resist checking it, her pulse fluttering and then she sighed, placing the phone back down. It was just a text from her phone service provider, trying to get her to pay for the more expensive plan.

Of course.

She picked up her phone, heading to the bathroom. Time for a bubble bath. She was done waiting for him to reply, since he obviously just didn't know what to say to let her down.

The water she turned on hot, and let in a generous amount of patchouli bubble bath, going back to the bedroom as the water ran. She took off her jewelry, one piece at a time, and brushed her hair out; went back to the bathroom and rubbed off her makeup. She tied her hair up in a messy bun and went back to the bedroom, taking off her dress and underwear and pulling her new bathrobe on. It was warm and cozy and she was glad she'd invested in it.

She walked back to the bathroom, switching the water off, stirring it with one hand and decided to wait just a minute; it was just a bit too hot.

And then she heard the doorbell.

She checked her phone, but there was still no message so it probably wasn't Chimney. Still. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she opened her front door app, glad that Chimney had talked her into a security system. Single girls in LA needed to be careful.

She audibly gasped, her breath quickening. He was here. Oh god. What did she do now? She was about to get in the bath, why had she asked him?

Okay. She could save this. Just tell him she'd changed her mind, she'd been tipsy, she wasn't thinking. She walked to the front door, unlocked it, paused, looked at her phone again.

She walked back to the bathroom and texted him. Doors open. Lock it after yourself.

She watched the speech bubbles pop up, as she slid out of her robe and into the hot bath. She could barely breathe.

Okay.

She heard the front door open, and she closed her eyes tight, freaking out. "I'm upstairs," she called. "Get yourself a glass of wine." She heard his footsteps, heard the clink of the bottle, and then he was coming up the stairs. One and two, three, four.

"Maddie?" He called. Oh, she liked his voice. Questioning, but strong. Deep.

"In the bathroom," she said, and her own voice almost gave out on her. She slid farther below the bubbles, and then Chimney appeared in the doorway, hesitant.

"Maddie?" He breathed, his eyes drinking in the scene before him.

"Hi," she whispered, suddenly at a loss for words. "You came."

"I did," he said, his eyes dipping down to the bubbles before shooting back up to her face. He took a sip of wine, not looking at her. "I think I need to be drunker for this."

"Is the thought of sex with me that terrible?" She teased, feeling her cheeks go hot. God, she didn't mean to be fishing for compliments but it had popped out.

"No," he said, his own cheeks red now. "But I am so fucking nervous and I'm afraid I'll forget what to do."

"I think we both are," she said, and the tension lifted a little at her honesty. She beckoned for him, and, after a moment, he came, sinking down next to the tub onto the foot stool she always had placed there.

"Did you have a good night?" He wondered.

"Yeah," she said, leaning back in the tub, pretending that this was normal. "It was fun. Good food, silly games with Buck. What's not to like?"

"Not being alone," Chimney murmured, and she opened her eyes in a flash, meeting his gaze.

"You can touch, if you want," she said, shrugging a little, acting like this was casual.

"Um," he said, and took another sip of wine. She closed her eyes, trying to relax, and barely held back a gasp when his hand touched the water. She could feel the ripples, and he slid it over to her shoulder, gently touching her collarbone. "Maddie?"

"Yeah," she said, and when she opened her eyes, he was so much closer.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, and she nodded, swallowing, trying to speak.

"Yes," she finally managed, and he leaned in, his other hand coming to rest on her other shoulder. His lips touched hers, and she leaned into it immediately. His hands cupped her face and he was sipping at her lips, gentle.

She was the impatient one, leaning in, asking for more. She was dangerously close to being above water, but she didn't care. She wanted him.

The kiss got more passionate, and he held her face closer, deepening the angle, his tongue sliding between her lips. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck, but she didn't want to get him wet.

"Chim?" She asked, pulling away.

"Yeah?" he whispered, breathing shallow.

"Maybe take off your jacket," she said, and he just nodded, standing up and stripping it off, tossing it into the bedroom.

"Do you mind getting wet?" She asked him, and he looked at her, confused for a second.

"No," he said. "God, no, I don't mind at all."

He moved back over to the tub and kissed her again, and she threw her arms around his neck, getting suds everywhere. She didn't care.

* * *

**A/N: So haha it's only getting steamier from here. I'm splitting it into two chapters bc I want to make y'all wait for one, and also so that those who don't want to read on to the sEX can just stop here and skip ch 3. ~Meowser**

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey y'all. This chapter is definitely NSFW. If you want to follow this story without the explicit content, just skip this chapter. I'll have another posted in a few days :) ~Meowser**

* * *

"Can I lift you?" He asked, after another long kiss, when they were both panting.

That was such a hot thing to say, and she felt her heartbeat quicken even more, if that were at all possible. "Take me to bed," she said, and his hands slid below the water; she knew his shirtsleeves must have gotten soaked. He paused at her waist and gripped hard, and she leaned into the motion, throwing her legs around his waist as soon as he'd lifted her high enough.

She was naked, she was wet, and his hands were on her ass, and he was kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

He walked them into the bedroom, setting her gently on the bed. "Do you want the towel?" He asked. "I don't want you getting cold." His lips were on her neck, and he was kissing it, sucking at it.

"I'm not cold, Chim," she panted, leaning back on the bed, pulling him with her. Her legs were still around his waist, and she was clinging to him, suddenly insecure. She didn't have the perfect body. He had begun to touch her, but looking and seeing was a different matter. He was clutching her ass, and she moaned as his fingers began to travel up, skating over her waist, up to her shoulders as he kissed her neck. She knew he would leave a mark.

His mouth was slowly travelling lower, and he glanced up at her before his lips touched the crest of her breast. "Still okay?" He asked huskily.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Thanks for asking."

Doug had always just assumed. That was something that had been sticking point in their failed marriage.

"Of course," he said, beginning to pull back. She started breathing faster, as he stood up and his eyes fell on her body. She knew she was good looking enough, but being naked in front of someone for the first time would never not be daunting. His eyes lingered at her breasts, they skated over her waist, they burned at her closed thighs and the patch of hair there. She shifted on the bed, insecure, and Chimney seemed to be cognizant of her discomfort, and he started to pull his own shirt off. "Here," he said. "I'll make it fair."

She grabbed a pillow, holding it to herself, watching as he disrobed. He had abs, and though short, he'd carried her with ease from the bathroom. He had strongly defined muscles in his arms, and his legs were also ripped. She swallowed as his shirt fell to the floor, as his pants came off. She could see the evidence of his arousal, and he paused, hands in his boxers waistband.

She sat up, pillow falling away, and she got on her knees, moving to the edge of the bed. They were the same height now, and she looked at him, and he looked back at her. "Kiss me," she said, and he did.

His hands were more bold now, as were hers. She clung to his shoulders, hands moving in small circles. His hands were slowly moving from her waist to her breasts, weighing them in his hands. His lips moved from hers to her neck, slowly and surely traveling downwards.

She moaned when his lips touched her breasts, and she couldn't breathe when his fingers touched her nipples. She felt a different kind of pressure when his mouth reached them.

Slowly they were back on the bed, Chimney was above her. His boxers came off, and she realized that this would be a very pleasant experience indeed. His fingers found the spot between her thighs first, and that was very good.

When his lips traveled even lower than her breasts, and reached that spot too, his tongue making her crazy, leaving her clinging to the bed. She moaned his name as he made her come, her thighs shaking around his head. "My god, Chimney," she said, feeling her body relax as her orgasm ended. She hadn't felt this good in...years.

"Maddie, you are so fucking hot," he replied, traveling back up her body to kiss her. She clung to him, grateful for the experience.

"Wait," she said, as his lips nibbled at hers.

"Yeah?" He asked, hands resting on her breasts.

"Don't you want to…?" She wondered, trailing off.

"I don't have a condom," he shrugged. "And I didn't want to assume that you had contraception."

My god, what a sweet man. She'd invited him over for a one night stand and he'd only been thinking about her pleasure, not even stopping for condoms.

"I think I have some," she said. "They might be expired, but also...I could return the favor."

He responded by kissing at her neck. "We only have to do what you're comfortable with," he said, hand on her waist, holding her close.

Wasn't this too much like cuddling? Oh god, they shouldn't be cuddling if this was a one night stand.

Was it a one night stand though? Or was it more? Friends with benefits? Surely she could handle herself.

"Be right back," she said, kissing him and jumping from the bed, feeling his eyes on her as she walked. She opened the bathroom drawer, finding the box of condoms that had been her friend Amanda's divorce gift to her.

She hadn't even opened the box yet, and she fumbled at it, struggling with the box.

She pulled out one foil packet, and looked up to see that Chimney had joined her in the bathroom. He slid his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. She leaned back, relishing the body heat, holding his arms at her waist.

She was in this too deep already, wasn't she?

He pulled back, taking her hand, raising an eyebrow. "Round two?" He asked, his hands going to the packet between her fingers.

"Yes," she agreed, a smile coming to her face. He moved forward, cupping her face with his hands, kissing her deeply before they went back to bed.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is mild, perfectly safe to read at work. ~Meowser**

* * *

It had been a week. Maddie furtively glanced at her phone, wondering if Chimney had texted her. Was it bad that she wanted him to?

They hadn't hooked up since then, but neither had they been avoiding each other. He'd been working the opposite shifts she had, and she only knew that through Buck; she hadn't texted him since that morning.

She'd woken up next to him, with his arms around her, tucked in his chest. And it had felt good. So warm, so solid. It had scared the fuck out of her.

She'd woken up next to him and gotten out of bed without saying anything. She hadn't told him good morning, hadn't kissed him awake. She'd gone straight for the shower, wondering the whole time if he'd be in bed when she left the bathroom. She'd prayed he would be; she'd prayed he wouldn't.

The bed was empty by the time she finished up, and she felt her heart fall a little, but forced herself to ignore it. The terms had been clear.

Chimney had respected her decision and hadn't made it messy or hard.

Neither had he texted since then. This was killing her. If she was being honest, she really wanted to see him again. Hell, she wanted to do more than just see him.

* * *

This was absolutely killing him, but he wanted to respect Maddie and what she'd said. This wasn't serious, it really hadn't been anything but a late night booty call. Which was fine. The terms had been clear.

Chimney took another swallow of black coffee, sitting at the table in the firehouse, caffeine the only thing keeping him awake. He had two more hours of this shift and he was about to pass out.

He looked at his phone for the sixth time in the past two minutes and he heard Hen sigh loudly as she entered the kitchen.

"Okay, it's been a week and I've held back," she said, sitting across from him. "What happened, Chim? What's up?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked, hiding his face with the coffee cup.

"Put down the coffee," she ordered and he groaned, putting the mug on the table. "Chim, what's up? I'm worried."

"Nothing happened," he protested.

"Does this have to do with Maddie?" She inquired, lowering her voice a little. "I know you two went out with Buck last week but he said she went home early."

"She did," Chimney agreed, wondering how much he wanted to tell Hen. "After I asked her out and she politely declined."

"She's missing out on something great," Hen mused. "I'm sorry, Chim."

"I totally respect her decision," he said. "She's not ready for a relationship and I don't want to be a rebound anyway, it was dumb of me to ask her out."

"Don't call yourself dumb," Hen chided. "I'm glad you're okay."

Chimney stared at his coffee long after she'd left. Memories of that night haunted him, and he'd dreamed about her almost every night. Her legs, so soft. The way she'd touched him, the way she'd reacted when he'd touched her. How her body had almost seemed to light up when she climaxed. How responsive her body had been.

Not texting her had been torture but she'd made it pretty clear that this wasn't going to become...anything when she'd left bed that morning. Chimney had probably woken up the same time she did, had pretended to be asleep as she slipped out of bed and into the shower. He'd looked around the room, as if trying to memorizing it; hell, he probably was trying to memorize it. Then he'd heard the shower turn on and he'd gotten out of bed, getting dressed as fast as he could, wanting to make sure this experience was good for her.

He didn't want to make it messy. She didn't need messy.

Buck wandered into the kitchen. "Hey, Chim, get a drink with me," he said.

"Why?" Chimney asked, finally finishing the coffee.

"Maddie's been bugging me to get out more, she keeps saying that I should probably move out of Abby's apartment," Buck admitted. "I don't know where I'd go however."

Buck was definitely hinting but Chimney didn't take the bait. "Not sure how a bar crawl helps but what the hell."

"Great, let's do Houlihan's again," Buck said. "I have to pick up a package after work so maybe 9:30?"

"That's fine," Chimney repeated. "I'll be there."

Buck held up his fist and Chimney obliged, bumping his knuckles against Buck's. "Hey, so things aren't weird between you and Maddie, are they?"

"Why would they be?" Chimney shrugged. "We're both adults."

"Well, you never know in situations like that," Buck said. "I'm glad. You're my friend, she's my sister. God knows I never should have tried to set you up but I was being generous because I knew you were interested. I thought she was too but whatever."

"Why did you think she was?" Chimney asked curiously.

"She said you were cute when we helped her move in," Buck said. "Hey, I have to return a call but I'll see you later."

"Buck!" Chimney protested, but he was already gone. Maddie had thought he was cute when they first met? What did that even mean? Did it even matter? She obviously never wanted to see him again.

Fuck it. He was going to bite the bullet. He wanted to make sure she was doing okay at the very least.

**Do you regret it?**

He hesitated before sending it, but finally did, standing up and putting his phone in his pocket, trying to pretend he hadn't. Maddie probably wouldn't reply anyway. She was too busy, she was probably working, and she didn't want to lead him on. He was being ridiculous.

* * *

The bar was crowded but Hen and Eddie had come too, so it was all four of them, yelling when the football team scored and booing when it...didn't. Chimney really wasn't paying attention. There was a couple singing karaoke and his heart pinched, remembering that it had been karaoke night last week when Maddie had been there. Fridays were always karaoke night here, and it was too tender a reminder.

He shoved it back down, trying to participate in the conversation. Buck and Eddie were teasing each other and Hen was shooting off razor sharp remarks. All in all, the typical evening out. He ordered another beer when the server came by, and drank it mostly in silence.

"What's got you down, man?" Eddie finally asked, when Chimney wasn't participating.

"Girl trouble," Buck slurred. "He's got the hots for Maddie and she shot him down last week."

"Thanks for the CliffNotes version," Chimney drawled sarcastically. "Truly touching."

"Hey, man, just telling it like it is," Buck said. "I mean, she's my sister. There's no love lost here. Kidding."

Buck was a little bit drunk and Eddie was distinctly sober in comparison. "Hey, man, I'm sorry," he said. "I wouldn't have asked if I'd known."

"Well, if you'd known it would have been a pretty dumb question," Hen joked. "Okay, gentleman, I've hit my limit. I'm going home to my wife."

"See you tomorrow," Buck slurred.

"I hope not, with the hangover you'll have?" Hen raised an eyebrow. "Whoo."

She patted Chimney's shoulder and wove her way from the table.

"Hey, man, love sucks," Eddie said. "It'll all work out. You'll met someone better."

"Hey, that's my sister you're talking about," Buck said, trying to flag down the server.

"No, dude, you're cut off," Eddie said, grabbing Buck's hand before the server saw.

"Excuse me," Buck complained, and Chimney zoned out, watching as the two wrestled before Eddie finally stood up.

"I have to take this degenerate back to Abby's," he said. "I don't trust him to get back otherwise."

"It's my apartment too, why'd you call it Abby's?" Buck griped. "Bye, Chimney."

And just like that, Chimney was alone at the bar. Like the loser he was.

He looked at his phone, swiping through the apps until he got to Instagram. Maddie had a private profile, but she'd approved his request long before their...encounter last week. She only have five pictures posted; he had a feeling she'd purged her profile after the divorce was final.

He'd almost memorized her feed.

The first picture was her with a friend, both holding glasses of champagne. **We're done** read the caption, and he was fairly certain it had been taken the day her divorce was finalized. Both women had huge smiles on their faces.

The next picture was a pretty generic LA skyline. **New city** the caption read, and the comments were plentiful on this one, all of her friends telling her congrats and to let them crash with her when/if they visited.

Third on her feed was a selfie with her and Buck, using filters. **Sibling time**

She was wearing rabbit ears. She looked adorable.

The next picture was of the current book she was reading, and her fingernails resting on the first page. **Favorite author**

And then...this one...the most recent picture from five days ago. It was a selfie, it was innocent and simple enough.

But it was too much. She was leaning out of her car window, and she was smiling. The caption was just the word sunset and he knew what she was talking about because the sunset on Sunday had been spectacular. He just couldn't get over this picture, taken two days after they'd slept together. She was obviously dressed up, in a fairly lowcut top, and he couldn't see the rest of her outfit but what did it mean that she'd posted two days after? Nothing, most likely, but if he were to read into it...it meant a lot. She was saying baiting a hook, and she'd wanted him to bite.

He hadn't liked the photo on Sunday and he didn't intend to now, and he was just trying to close instagram but his fingers had a mind of their own. The heart flashed on the screen and he felt his life flash before his eyes. He'd liked the post, five days after it had been posted. It was too late to say it was due to instagram's funky algorithm. She'd know he'd been stalking her profile.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. His life was over. She'd never speak to him again. He shoved his phone in his pocket and left the bar, almost to his car when his phone buzzed. His heart froze when he read the screen. Maddie had texted.

**No**

One word. Chimney sighed. She was just being polite then-had seen the like, had pitied him, was giving him a bone-but a second text was following the first.

**Do you?**

His fingers flew as he typed, but then he forced himself to slow down. No need to rush her.

**Of course not. I just wanted to make sure you're doing ok, no ulterior motives. (Chimney)**

**Isn't that what someone with ulterior motives would say? (Maddie)**

**Maybe but I'm an honest person (Chimney)**

**Ok well I do have ulterior motives (Maddie)**

**Do tell (Chimney)**

She was replying so quickly, and his heart was beating out of his chest, and this had to be a terrible idea and he was just going to end up getting hurt but Maddie Buckley...he closed his eyes and he was back in her bed, holding her while she slept.

**My place? I just got home (Maddie)**

Surely this was impossible, surely he was dreaming this.

**I'll be there in fifteen (Chimney)**

Was he just a masochist? Chimney wondered. Did he like suffering?

There was one thing for sure. Tonight would be incredible, and he'd make Maddie feel even better than she had last week.

There was another thing for sure. He was falling hopelessly farther in love with her and if he didn't reel himself in soon, he'd be a goner.

But he couldn't, wouldn't stop himself.

Maddie was waiting. Who was he to tell a lady no?

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: No warnings for this chapter ~Meowser**

* * *

Maddie and Chimney were slowly devolving into a pattern. Whoever got off second would go to the other's apartment, usually bringing food. They were eerily like dates, but Maddie shrugged it off, Chinese takeout in her hands as she walked up to Chimney's apartment door. She'd had a later night than him, so it was her turn to bring sustenance.

He swung the door open before she even reached it, reaching to take the bags from her hands. "Thank you for bringing food," he said.

"I'm sure you're regretting waiting for me now, I got off two hours after you," Maddie said, kicking her shoes off.

"Who said I waited?" Chimney said. "I may have snacked a little but rest assured that I saved myself for you."

"Can you check the bags for hot mustard?" She asked, following him to the kitchen. "I specifically asked for it on the phone and when I got there."

He'd gone through both bags, and came out with empty hands. "Nope, still not here."

"Damn it," she said, reaching for the egg roll package. "What am I supposed to have with these now?"

"Hot mustard," he said, pulling a bowl from the fridge. She found that she was stunned to silence. What did this mean for them? He was making her hot mustard? That was such an incredibly sweet gesture but it was also so dangerous.

"You made me some," she stated. "Thank you."

His face fell at her lackluster reaction. "I had a feeling they'd forget again," he said.

She felt like a jerk, and found herself stepping closer to him, invading his body space, until she was in his arms, her hands linking behind his neck. "Thank you," she said again, and Chimney responded by kissing her.

The food was cold by the time they got back to it.

* * *

"I think it would be a good first step," Maddie told Buck, sipping at her coffee. "You need to move on, and figure out what your life is without Abby."

"But where should I go?" He asked, looking at the various apartment brochures spread before him.

Maddie shrugged. "Don't you have friends you could stay with?" She asked. "Where were you living before Abby?"

"Okay, that is definitely not an option," he said firmly. "I don't even know those people anymore, if I ever really did."

"Okay," she began. "Maybe there's someone at the fire station needing a roommate. It wouldn't hurt to ask around."

"True," Buck mused. "I don't know, I still don't think I'm ready."

"Maybe you'll never be ready," Maddie suggested. "Not if you keep thinking like this. Maybe in order to be ready you just have to do it, regardless."

Buck sighed, and Maddie's phone buzzed.

Chimney had texted. Her cheeks warmed at the content and when she looked back up at her brother, he'd raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?" He asked. "Or should I say who?"

"It's nobody," she said.

"I better not tell Chimney you're seeing nobody," he teased.

"What?" She asked.

"I shouldn't have brought it up," Buck said, scratching his head and shifting in his chair. "Just I think that he's still hung up on you."

Maddie tried to laugh, but it stuck in her throat.

"I know," Buck said, seeing her discomfort and misinterpreting it. "I've been telling him, he needs to get over you, just like I...need to get over Abby."

Finally, something Maddie could cling to. "I don't say that to be harsh," she said. "And I can't tell you what to do or how to live your life. I can just hope you learn from my failed experiences. Let go." She patted his hand, standing up. "I need to get to work."

* * *

Chimney went to Maddie's that night, with pizza, but he'd barely made it inside when Maddie started kissing him, and once again they let the food get cold.

He carried her to bed, feeling the fervor behind her kisses and wondering where this had come from. He definitely wasn't complaining, however, and clung right back to her.

He'd figured that conversation wasn't part of this relationship, and that he really shouldn't be calling it a relationship. He wanted to cuddle her all night long but he forced himself to roll over. He tried to not sleep over at her place, wanting to give her an out unlike that first night they'd spent together. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or pressured.

She slept at his place sometimes, if she didn't have work til late. Waking up next to her was the best moment of Chimney's day. He still wasn't sure how this thing between them would end up, but what he did know was that he didn't want it to end.

So it wasn't going to. He slid beneath the sheets, making Maddie moan and squirm at his touch. He felt smug when she came, more than once, and he couldn't breathe when she returned the favor. The pizza was somehow better once it was cold, and they ate it eagerly.

At the end, Chimney was pulling his shoes on, waiting for Maddie to tell him not to go. She was sitting on the bed, wrapped in sheets, staring at him. He wanted to kiss her goodbye.

"I'll see you next time," he finally said, waiting for her to tell him he could stay over.

She just smiled at him, worry creasing her eyes a little. "Okay."

When he got home that night Buck was waiting, camped outside his door. "Buck?" He questioned, noticing the bags around him.

"Hey, why are you getting in so late? Our shift ended five hours ago," Buck yawned, standing up and shaking off his sleep.

"I had stuff," Chimney said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could crash with you," Buck said. Chimney bit his lip but couldn't figure out a way to tell him no, unlocking the door and directing his guest to the couch.

He wasn't wrong in thinking that this was the beginning of the end.

* * *

**A/N: Oh no such an ominous ending. Hope y'all enjoyed. ~Meowser**


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: AS OF RIGHT NOW I have chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 written. I'll be spacing them out over the next few days but this story is officially completed :D ~Meowser

It was like a scene in a movie. When Maddie opened the door, and Chimney stood there, she almost dived at him. He was soon pressing her against the wall, their lips tangling passionately, and she felt high on his embrace.

They'd spent the past few weeks desperately trying to schedule sex, since they couldn't do it when Buck was at Chimney's because her brother would notice Chimney's absence. So they'd been having to do it on the all-too-rare days that Buck worked and Chimney was off.

It had definitely heightened things between them, Maddie reflected as Chimney kissed her. Her bra was already off, and he was kneeling between her legs, about to slide a condom on, and he'd stopped to kiss her.

She kissed him back, her hands holding firm to his face, and her lips pulled away to travel along his neck. She panted, laying back on the bed, staring up at him.

He moved his finger over the hickey shown on her collarbone. "No comments at work about this?" He asked, his voice a sinful purr.

"There were some, I told Josh it was none of his business," she said pertly, arching her hips so that his erect cock brushed against her entrance. He gasped, shaking his head at her.

"Someone's getting impatient," he scolded, and leaned to suck at her nipple, using his fingers to twist the other nipple. She keened, jerking at his touch. Doug had never made her feel like this. So sexual, so wanton. So incredibly free.

There were no strings, and it was the best.

He slid into her, and she moaned loudly, shifting to better accommodate him. "Chim," she moaned, and she felt his movements speed up at the sound of his name. "Chim," she repeated, testing, and she felt his dick swell inside her.

She was holding onto him so tight, she knew her fingernails would leave a mark on his back, but as he pounded into her, again and again, she couldn't care less.

* * *

"Another hickey," Hen said drily, and Chimney's head jerked at the sound of her voice.

He shoved his t-shirt down quickly, regretting having decided to change at work, but he'd been running late at Maddie's. The hickey wasn't something that was visible with his shirt on, but Hen had gotten a peek. He should have been smarter.

"Call it a bruise, Hen," Chimney said drily, desperate to cover. "That's what it is."

"Oh, you got kicked by a very miniature horse?" She asked. "Twice?" She arched an eyebrow. "You know, I didn't say anything the first time because I was sure I'd imagined it, but now? You've got a girl, Howard Han."

He just shook his head.

"Casual sex isn't for you, " she continued. "We both know that you fall too hard and too fast for that to be the case here."

His heart seized at her words, though for different reasons than Hen was poking at. Too hard and too fast. He'd been trying to pretend otherwise, but it was obvious when he took off the rose colored glasses that this relationship had been doomed from the start-

Not even a relationship. What was it people called it now? A situationship?

"Chim!" Hen called. "Come back to earth, man."

"I reconnected with someone," he finally said, and her eyes widened.

"That bitch came back? She had the audacity?" She said, her voice rising.

"What bitch and no?" Chimney protested.

"Tatiana," Hen spat, and Chim frantically shook his head.

"Fuck no," he said. "God no."

She calmed, and then considered him. "So who?"

He bit his lip. "Can we just not talk about this right now?" He hedged. "I haven't had that kind of talk with her yet, and I think that we're just hooking up."

"I can drop it," Hen began. "Asking who she is, anyway, since I don't want to be the reason you break a confidence. But I will say this. The Chimney I know doesn't do casual sex." She looked at him, shaking her head. "You know I'm not judging, obviously. But I don't want to see you getting hurt."

"I'm fine," he said. "I've got the brakes on, and I know where I stand with her."

"Which is?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're friends with benefits, fuckbuddies, whatever you want to call it," Chimney said. "We had that conversation and things are going just fine. Now if you'll excuse me."

"I meant it, Chim," Hen called after him. "Don't you get hurt again."

He headed up the stairs, feeling a mood setting on. He knew it was too late for that.

* * *

Josh was not letting up today, Maddie reflected, but to be fair, she had a giant hickey. The scarf hid it, sure, but it was obvious as fuck what it covered.

"Maddie, come on, I haven't been on a date in months," he pleaded, sliding his chair next to hers since they'd hit a slow spell. "I just need to know if it's good."

"Would I have this hickey if it wasn't?" She replied, and he crowed.

"I can't believe your luck," he said. "You do have that new divorcee aura though, I'm sure it makes a lot of heteros very horny."

"Please stop," she said, rolling her eyes, but she was smiling. It was all in good fun, and honestly, she wouldn't mind talking about it if it wasn't for who it was. Chimney. She was terrified of saying who it was, and getting scolded for doing this.

She wasn't stupid. She knew Chimney had had feelings for her at the beginning, and she wasn't naive enough to think that almost incessant fucking would make those feelings go away.

If anything, sex just led to increased feelings.

At the time, at the beginning, she'd been deep enough in lust that she'd overlooked his feelings. She'd pretended that he was telling the truth when he said it was all good, she'd pretended that she could believe his words that it was just sex. It was easier to believe every time she woke up lately and he was gone.

It had been a month, she realized, looking at today's date. A month of so-called "no strings attached" sex, and it had been incredible.

But it wasn't no strings, was it?

She couldn't imagine breaking things off with him, but she couldn't imagine this situation lasting forever. After all, the way fate worked, Buck was bound to walk in on them having sex one of these days if nothing changed.

She went on her break with a headache, taking one of Gloria's muffins, and staring at her phone, wondering if she was going to text him.

She was just about to go back to work when an incoming text chimed, and her heart seized.

**Hey, Maddie. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but Buck gave me your phone number.**

She froze, wondering what this was going to be about. Had Hen found out? She wouldn't put it past the woman to bitch Maddie out for stringing Chimney along.

**It's Eddie.**

Eddie. She racked her brain, before practically being dragged into a hazy memory of moving day. Buck had brought two friends; Eddie was the taller one.

**It's no problem. What's up? (Maddie)**

She truly had no idea why Eddie would be texting her. She knew he had babysitting issues sometimes, and had asked more than one member of the team to help out in a pinch.

She really wasn't down for something like that. Yes, she had nursing experience, and from what she'd heard, Chris was a great kid.

**I was wondering if you'd like to see a movie sometime (Eddie)**

She choked on the muffin, going into a literal coughing fit, feeling her whole life turn upside down.

**Just curious-Does Buck know why you wanted my number? (Maddie)**

**Yeah. He gave me his blessing even (Eddie)**

Maddie's fingers felt too heavy to type. Her mind was furiously working to figure out what her response should be, and all she wanted to know was…

Had Chimney heard?


	7. Chapter 7

In the end, Maddie said her break was over, and that she'd reply later. She didn't really care what Eddie thought; it was the truth, after all, and her brain was too fuzzy to consider his emotions as well as her own and Chimney's right now.

She and Chimney had made plans to meet at her place after work, and she wondered if he'd still come. Her phone was silenced, and she forced herself not to check it throughout the rest of her shift. Sue was cracking down on cell use anyway, so that honestly helped Maddie not pull it back out of her bag _just for a second_. She knew herself too well; it wouldn't just be a second, not if Chimney had texted.

At 10:59, Maddie couldn't wait anymore. She took her headset off, and stood up, walking faster than she'd ever had to clock out. She took her things, her hands shaking so hard she almost dropped her phone, and she felt like crying when she saw a text from Chimney.

She was afraid to open it.

She was afraid to contemplate why this situation had her so emotional. It wasn't that deep. She'd said no strings, she'd meant no strings, and really, was it her fault if he'd fallen for her?

She knew that she wouldn't like the answer to that question, so she ignored it, sliding his message open.

**10:45: I know you're getting off at 11, can we just talk outside the dispatch center? (Chimney)**

**10:50: I'm outside. (Chimney)**

She walked to the elevator in a haze, not even noticing when Josh called a goodbye. She stared at the phone, wondering why this was so scary for her. This shouldn't mean anything. They'd had sex, great sex, and they'd kept having sex for six weeks. That didn't mean she owed him something…

That didn't mean they were an item. It didn't mean anything. So why was her heart beating so fast?

She stepped outside, and Chimney was there, like he'd said he was, leaning on a pillar.

He looked up at her, and her heart seized anew. There was no warm, welcoming smile on his face. He always smiled when he saw her.

"Hey," she said, and her legs stopped functioning, leaving her frozen on the sidewalk.

"Hey," he said, stepping closer, leaving the warm glow of the streetlight. "Listen, I don't want to make this any more awkward than it has to be. I know Buck gave Eddie your number, it was all over the station."

"You know, I can't believe Buck would do that," she said.

"In his mind, I've moved on," Chimney shrugged. "I guess my sleeping around is all over the station too, people just don't know who with."

"No secrets," she said, voice shaky.

"Listen, I don't want you to feel bad about this," Chimney said. "We always knew it was going to happen."

"What do you mean?" She asked, unable to figure out what she really wanted to say, because honestly? She didn't know what she wanted. This had thrown her for a major loop.

"That this would end," Chimney said simply, waving his hands. "You, me, us. There was never an us, we both knew that."

Did we? Maddie wondered, but there was a sudden lump in her throat; she didn't know what to say.

"So what are you saying?" She finally asked.

Chimney groaned, frustrated. "You're going to make me say it?" He asked.

"Say what?" She repeated, his annoyance making her snap. She had no idea why he was making these assumptions. "I have no idea what you want me to say, but it feels like you've already decided all on your own what it is."

"It's obvious what's going to happen here," he said, almost yelling. "I'm not stupid, Maddie. I don't measure up to Eddie freaking Diaz, so please, just put us both out of our misery."

She shook her head, suddenly just as angry with him as he was with her. "So you want me to say yes?" She tossed back.

"I'm saying you have no reason not to," Chimney said. "I was trying to make it easier, but I guess I should have just let you ghost me."

"Chim," she said, but he shook his head.

"You don't have to make me feel better," he said. "Like I said, I can handle this. No strings, right?"

She started to speak again, but he shook his head again. "Please, Maddie. Don't do this."

She felt her heart double beat, wondering if he was saying what she thought. _Don't go out with Eddie._

"Don't pretend you haven't already said yes."

Her heart dropped, and she felt like she'd been punched. All this time, she thought he'd been falling for her, she'd been afraid that she'd led him on. But no. His opinion of her was so low, he thought she'd go out with Eddie without even giving him the damn courtesy of knowing.

"Fuck you," she said, and she saw his face blur with confusion.

"Wait," he said, holding up his hands, but she was done listening.

"Is it so hard to believe that just because I'm divorced, and wanted a little fun, that I have a heart?" She yelled. "That I have feelings too? That I'm not a stone cold bitch who'd just drop you the second someone else came along?"

"I didn't mean it like that," he began, but she forged on.

"It doesn't matter how you meant it, because that's what you said," she snapped. "You got your wish, Chimney. We're through."

"Maddie, we don't have to end it like this-" He began, but she was already walking away.

"It's too damn late for it to end any other way," she shot back, almost to her car. Once inside, she turned it on, and was pulling out of the parking lot before he'd even left the sidewalk.

She'd barely gone two blocks before she pulled over at a gas station, switched the car off, and started to sob.


	8. Chapter 8

Chimney had a horrible feeling that whole week. He kept remembering his fight with Maddie, and how genuinely hurt she'd looked. He'd gone over there that night terrified, and trying to minimize his own hurt, but he knew that he'd gone about this in the wrong damn way.

He should have waited for her to reach out. It was wrong of him to assume anything about the way she'd react, and it was definitely wrong for him to say those...those horrible things.

He hated himself for what he'd done, but the thought of Maddie with Eddie had flipped a switch in his brain, temporarily disabling his ability to filter or function.

He didn't want to see them together. He'd almost called in sick the next day, but he'd forced himself to go in and play nice. Eddie had been acting just the same, as had Buck. Chimney didn't say anything to either of them, and just thanked god that Hen was off. She would have called him on his behavior for sure, and he knew she'd have started connecting dots as well.

Hen was too smart for his own good sometimes. He wondered if she had an inkling who the woman was, but if Hen thought it was Maddie, she hadn't said anything (so far) to indicate that.

It was the longest week of his life, waiting for Friday. Eddie had taken that night off, and Chimney watched carefully, trying to get any indication for whether Eddie had a date, but he gave up, finally going upstairs.

Buck was there, playing pool by himself. "Grab a cue," he offered, and Chimney did.

"How's it been?" Buck asked, winking at him. "Rumor is, you've been having some fun."

"Rumor's wrong," Chimney said flatly, and Buck straightened up.

"Damn, then I'm sorry, man," he said. "What's up? You're in a mood."

"It's nothing," Chimney said. He hit the cue ball, watching as it bounced off the side without hitting anything. God, if that wasn't a metaphor for his life. "Speaking of rumors...Eddie and Maddie, huh?"

Buck shrugged, putting more chalk on his cue. "Yeah," he said simply.

Yeah what? Chimney wanted to scream. "Is that a thing then?" He asked.

Buck took a shot, cursing when it didn't go through. "Chim, I know you had a thing for her," he said. "I would never have given Eddie her number if I thought you still did, but Hen said you had a girl so I thought there was no harm."

"Oh my god, that is so not why I asked," Chimney said, thanking the gods for that one acting class he'd taken in undergrad. "I'm just bored, like I said. There's nothing going on in my life."

"Then let's make this interesting," Buck said. "Want to bet? Five bucks I get the eight ball on my next turn."

Chimney felt like cursing. Was Buck really so obtuse? Or was he doing this on purpose, not wanting to give Chimney an answer because he thought Chimney still "had a thing" for Maddie?

"You know, I'm not actually in the mood for pool," he started to say, and saw the look of pity on Buck's face. Fuck that. "Poker instead? Loser buys next time we're out."

"I'm in," Buck crowed. "Let me see if I can round anyone else up, be right back."

He dropped his cue, going off to bug Bobby.

Chimney leaned against the pool table, taking a deep breath. Where was Maddie tonight?

He slid his phone out of his pocket, going to Instagram, and searching for her page. Thank god, she hadn't blocked him yet.

He scrolled through her feed, but there was nothing new, and he was ready to log off when he saw that the pink circle around her profile picture was lit up. She'd added to her story.

He hesitated. He knew that users could see when anyone viewed their story, and he wasn't trying to get blocked if he wasn't already.

Fuck. What was he supposed to do?

Was he even ready for whatever awaited him? What if it was a mirror selfie, pre-date? A picture of her manicure, or a pair of heels?

No, he was better off not knowing.

He slid his phone back into his pocket, but his mind wouldn't stop envisioning various possibilities for what it could be.

He wanted to text her, he thought, his heart beating twice as fast. He wanted to view her story, he wanted to text her _Don't date Eddie, date me_ , and he wanted to make sure that she picked him.

He wanted to go and buy a damn bouquet of flowers, he wanted to just wait outside her apartment door to be there when she got home, and he wanted to punch Eddie in the face if he was with Maddie.

And he didn't have the right to do any of those things.

He wasn't her boyfriend. He wasn't even really an ex. At this point, showing up would just get him labeled a stalker.

Buck came back with a few of the guys, and Chimney played poker, losing miserably because his mind was nowhere on the game.

His phone buzzed midway through, but just then the siren rang; they'd gotten a call. Everyone jumped to attention, and Chimney forgot all about his phone notification.

The call was a nasty, and long one. A car had jumped the barrier and hit two other oncoming cars. They were on the freeway for hours, just getting debris out of the way.

By the time they got back to the station, it was midnight, and his shift was over.

He jumped in the showers, quickly rinsing off the grime, and dressed quickly. His phone was still in his locker, where he'd left it before they went on the call. He'd put it there so that he wasn't tempted to stalk Maddie on his downtime, and now he picked it up.

He had a few emails, a text from Hen, and a missed call.

He frowned. Who would be calling him that late?

He went to his phone log, and felt his mouth dry.

The words said it all, sitting there accusingly in bold black font.

**Missed call from Maddie.**

There wasn't a voicemail, and it was past midnight. He didn't want to call and wake her up.

He typed the words with shaking hands. **I saw your call, but I didn't want to wake you up. Call me in the morning if you need to talk.**


	9. Chapter 9

Maddie woke up early Saturday morning; truly, she'd barely slept. She almost jumped for her phone, and she felt herself tear up again when she saw a text from Chimney. So he had gotten her call.

**I saw your call, but I didn't want to wake you up. Call me in the morning if you need to talk.**

It was just past 7:30; she doubted he was awake considering he'd gotten off at midnight.

This, however, was news that couldn't wait longer.

She called his number, heard it ring three times. He picked it up on the fourth, and she could hear the sleep in his voice.

"Maddie?"

"I took a pregnancy test last night," she said, without preamble. "And it was positive."

* * *

She didn't text Eddie. She'd been planning on, as she sped out the parking lot, leaving Chimney behind. A huge part of her just wanted to hurt him, the way he'd hurt her, but as she sat in the gas station parking lot, she'd realized too many things.

Chimney wasn't the one who'd developed real feelings. She was.

Somewhere along the way, in between lots of oral sex, and too much chinese, she'd fallen head over heels for Howie Han. She'd fallen for his laugh, for his smile. For the way he was always happy to see her, for the way it was so easy between them.

She'd begun to depend on him, depend on meeting up whenever they could for takeout and sex. She'd loved the stability; she'd craved more. So she'd taken more.

As she sat in her car, miserably reflecting on the past few weeks, she knew the moment it had shifted from no strings to _strings_. Really, really long strings, at that. Tight ones, ones that made her heart ache, and her mouth run dry.

It was when he'd made her the hot mustard.

She'd looked at him in that moment, and she'd realized just how much Doug would never have done that for her. But it was more than that. It was everything, from the way he treated her like she was a queen, to the way she knew he loved his job, and he was passionate about it.

It was how much he cared for everyone in his life; he hadn't talked much about his family situation, but he'd gotten a phone call once when he'd been at her place, and he'd apologized; " _I have to take this."_ It had been a short call, and Maddie had tried to not overhear, but she could tell it was someone he cared about. Likely his parents, she could tell it was family.

But then tonight happened. He'd said such horrible things, and she had no idea where she really stood with him. Why on earth would he say any of those things if he cared for her?

She'd picked up her phone, and replied to Eddie.

**I just don't think there's anything to explore between us, but thanks.**

She had ignored his reply, and she'd spent the next week in her feelings, eating ice cream, and crying too much.

It wasn't until Friday morning that she'd gotten an inkling something was up. She got a notification from her cycle tracking app; she'd forgotten to log her birth control this week.

She thought about it, really thought about it. She hadn't taken it this week, she'd just forgotten, so where was her period? She knew it wasn't really a period; that took months to resume, but she should have had withdrawal bleeding.

She was a nurse.

She knew what this meant.

She had gone after work to get the pregnancy test, and had three glasses of wine before she was brave enough to pee on the damn thing.

When she'd gotten the positive sign, she'd felt her heart drop. She'd texted her OBGYN; thank god Amanda had answered, and she'd told Maddie to come in Saturday morning.

So here she was, Saturday morning. On the phone with Chimney. The father.

* * *

"You what?" Chimney asked, and Maddie heard the shift in his voice.

"I took a pregnancy test," she said. "I have a doctor's appointment at nine."

"To confirm it?" He said, and she nodded, before realizing he couldn't see her.

"I mean, false positives happen all the time," she rambled. "Really, it could be anything."

"Yeah," Chimney replied. "I thought you were on-"

"The pill? I am, but I had a few days where I slept in," Maddie fretted. "I still took it, but it's supposed to be in the window, and I guess…It wasn't in the window. Um. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Chimney said immediately. "We shouldn't have stopped using condoms, that was selfish of me."

"No, I mean, we made that choice together," she said. "It was only a few times anyway."

"If anything, I'm to blame," he began, but she cut him off.

"Chimney, if I'd taken my birth control during the damn three hour window like I, as a nurse, should have, we would be fine," she said.

"All birth control can fail," he said. "It is so not your fault."

She didn't answer, she just breathed in and out, trying to calm.

"Listen, we're arguing about something that might not even be real," Chimney said. "You've got an appointment with your doctor, do you want me to come?"

"You wouldn't be able to make it across LA in time," she said. "I'll just call you when I'm done, okay?"

"Yeah," he said. "Maddie. It's going to be okay."

"Of course it is," she said, hanging up. She couldn't stay on the phone with him any longer; she was too amped up.

* * *

Chimney stared at the phone in his hand, feeling like his world had stopped. Pregnant. Maddie might be...pregnant.

His head was spinning with images; Maddie, belly swollen with his child. Maddie, smiling at him as she gave birth. Maddie, holding a tiny baby, and telling him, "Congrats, Daddy."

A baby girl, with Maddie's hair, and his eyes.

He could barely breathe. He...he wanted this. He'd always wanted to be a father, he'd never thought it would be with Maddie, but now that he was thinking about it, there was no one he'd rather have kids with. Not Tatiana, not anyone.

Maddie.

He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, and he got up, knowing he wasn't going back to sleep after this.

He'd shower and go over to her place. Even if she didn't want him along, he wasn't just doing this on the phone. Not today. Not something this important.


	10. Chapter 10

Maddie's head was spinning. Instead of calling Chimney when she left the doctor's, she just drove home. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to process this news.

She shouldn't have been surprised to see his car out front; in her heart, she really wasn't.

Chimney jumped to standing when he saw her. "Maddie," he greeted, and she wanted to cry all over again. "I just want to say, whatever you need, I am there. Doctors appointments, child support, late night peanut butter runs...I am there for you."

"Thank you," she managed, tears filling her eyes, and her throat swelling. It was silly, really. She had no reason to be this emotional. Last night, she'd been terrified of a positive.

Now she was heartbroken.

"I'm not pregnant," she said simply, letting the news shatter like a vase. "So you can just go back to your normal life without me. I know you don't want anything else out of our relationship, and basically, I way overreacted. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Chimney didn't say anything, and she could see the emotions on his face. He turned to the wall for a moment, wiped at his face. "I'm sorry," he apologized, turning back. "I guess I got...excited."

"Seriously, it's my bad," she said. "I freaked out, and the test was just a goof, but I'm not pregnant. She did bloodwork, and checked down below. I shouldn't have even said anything."

He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm glad you did," he said seriously. "No woman should have to go through something like this alone."

"Well, thank you," she said. "Um, you really don't have to stick around. I know you probably just want to get going, and leave me in your past."

"Maddie," he began. "I'm glad you called me for a lot of reasons, and the main one is, I need to apologize to you."

"There's really no need," she began, but he shook his head.

"There is," he said. "I said some awful things, and I made some horrific assumptions. I think I was just so...scared that I wanted to hurt you before you could hurt me. That's not an excuse, and it doesn't make up for how I treated you. I am so sorry."

Her throat hurt again. "Yeah, well," she said.

"I didn't mean it, any of it," he said. "I mean, I did, but I was speaking out of terror. Of course you aren't that kind of woman."

"Chimney, it's okay," she said. "I know you don't have the same feelings, and we don't have to keep torturing ourselves like this."

He started to nod, and then paused. "Wait, what did you mean?"

"What?" She asked, feeling too tired for this. He wasn't interested, and she just wanted to get the heartbreak over and done with.

"Same feelings?" He said. "As what? As before?" He'd stepped closer, and she could see something new in his eyes. Something intense, something honest.

"The same feelings as me," she said, forcing the words out. "There, are you happy? I admit it. I fell for you, and you shattered my heart to pieces when you said you didn't have those same feelings."

"I didn't say that," he said, and she shrugged.

"Same difference," she began, but he'd stepped closer again.

"I didn't say that, because I wouldn't have meant it," he said. "I do have feelings for you, Maddie. That's why I freaked when I heard about Eddie, that's why I acted like a fucking idiot. I love you."

The words hung in the air, and Maddie tried to make sense of them.

Chimney was stammering, trying to regain his footing on the conversation. "I mean, I'm falling in love-"

"Shut up," she said, a smile finally coming after the hell this morning had been. "I love you too."

With that, she stepped forward and kissed him. His arms came around her in an instant, holding her tight, and it was just like it had been before...but about a million times better.

* * *

Chimney followed her inside for coffee, and after a few minutes of trying to resist, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other while making it. Finally, they somehow made it to her couch, and finished their conversation.

He felt drunk on love, and he'd never been so happy as now, sitting there with her feet in his lap, kissing her whenever just because he wanted to.

He loved her. There was no doubt about it.

They'd talked about everything; he admitted that he'd been in love the whole time, really, and she told him that everything had changed when he made her hot mustard.

That really touched him. He knew he was a shitty cook, but Maddie had liked his hot mustard. Somehow, that made him know that she really, really loved him for who he was. Not for who he wanted to be, not for any fake version of himself he'd shown Tatiana. He had tried to be whoever those other women had wanted, but it was when he was himself that she'd fallen for him.

She liked Howard Han, who made hot mustard, and liked dorky tv shows.

He'd never loved her more than the moment she told him, until a few moments after. They'd kissed passionately, with Maddie ending up on his lap, and now they were separated again, Maddie leaning on his chest.

* * *

"You know, when I thought that I was pregnant…" she began, looking up at him. "I was really grateful it was you. That the baby was yours."

He didn't know how to process those words, so he just leaned down and kissed her, long and hard. "Same," he whispered, as they came up for air. "I couldn't imagine doing something like this with anyone else but you."

Her eyes filled, and she turned, shifting on the couch until she was sitting on her knees, facing him. "So does this mean we're dating?" She asked, and he burst out laughing, reaching for her hands to kiss them.

"We're a lot more than just dating," he whispered, kissing each finger. "But yes, we are. And I am demanding that we don't see other people."

"I think I'm okay with that," she laughed, leaning to kiss him again. It was another kiss that ended with them panting, and she gazed up at him. "I need you to promise me one thing," she whispered, her hands on his shoulders.

"Anything," he swore, and she could barely form the words, but she knew she had to. And she wanted to.

"Promise me that we'll do this again, not now, but...someday. And that it will be good news."

"Do what?" He asked, searching her eyes, and she cupped his face.

"Promise me that the next time I take a pregnancy test, it's only good things," she whispered, and his eyes filled.

"Maddie, there is nothing that would make me more happy," he replied, and they were just silent for a moment, staring at each other. "In fact…" He whispered. "We could go and try right now."

She got up, reaching for his hand to pull him up to his feet. "I'll race you to the bedroom," she said, and turned to run.

Chimney caught her before she reached the stairs, and they fell to the floor in a tangle of legs and laughter. And she was so, so glad that he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: i'm going to mark this as complete, but i will try to get an epilogue up for y'all. thank you for reading :) thank you so so so much to those who commented and left kudos. I appreciate you ~Meowser


	11. Chapter 11

They spent the whole night making love, and Maddie forced her eyes open Sunday morning. She propped herself up on one elbow, realizing that this was the first time they'd had a sleepover that didn't end in one of them sneaking out. She lazily traced her fingers over his chest, and he woke up, blinking at her.

"Hey," he whispered, grinning sleepily. "Want to grab a shower together?"

They both didn't work until that afternoon, so Maddie said yes, and they had another long session in the shower. She'd seen too many shower sex related injuries in the ER, so it was just foreplay...but it really wasn't "just" foreplay. Calling foreplay with Chimney foreplay was like calling a cupcake a muffin. They weren't the same.

Foreplay with Chimney meant that Maddie came, foreplay with Chimney meant that he took his time pleasuring every inch of her body, and foreplay with Chimney meant that Maddie could barely breathe at the end of it. They went back to bed after that, where she gave him back as good as she'd received in the shower, until he was moaning her name and grabbing her hair as hard as she'd grabbed his shoulders.

They finally made it downstairs, a little past noon, and Maddie made coffee. She really wished they didn't have to work at all; but really, they'd had all Saturday together, so she knew she shouldn't sulk.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, seeing that he'd fallen into thought.

"What we're going to tell the 118," he said. "If anything."

"Oh, we're going to tell them," she said. "I am not letting Buck give my number to anyone else."

"One of his setups worked," Chimney said, winking at her. She lightly slapped his shoulder, taking a sip of coffee.

"Be that as it may," she said, leaning in to steal a kiss. "No thank you to any future setups."

"I second that," he murmured, grabbing her by the waist to keep her there for a moment. With that, all talk of telling the team was forgotten for a long while indeed.

* * *

By the time Chimney got to work that afternoon, he had a brand new hickey. Hen looked at him, quirked a brow, but said nothing besides, "I'm glad you and mystery girl made up. You were a beast last week."

"How would you know," he replied mildly, and walked up the stairs. Eddie and Buck were in the kitchen, and Chimney walked right up to them. He'd gotten Maddie's blessing, with the instructions to "tell me all about it. I don't have to be there but I want to know."

"Hey," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I have something to tell you guys. Not because it's not my business, but because I don't need you two fools trying to pull something else. Maddie and I are dating. She was always the girl I was seeing, for the past few weeks. Please don't give her number out to anyone else, Buck. Eddie, sorry if this hurts your feelings."

"No, I-" Eddie stammered, but Buck interrupted him.

"You're dating who?" He said. "But I thought you guys settled that in the bar. She said you weren't going to happen. How long?" Buck finished with a demand.

Chimney tried to resist the smile tugging at his lips, but couldn't. "Since the night at the bar," he said. "I'm kind of shocked you guys didn't guess, considering how quickly we figured out that Bobby was seeing Athena. Then again, you never were as interested in my life, were you, Buck? Must be strange to realize that I have one."

He smiled stiffly, and walked away. Maddie hadn't made him promise to be nice...

Hen was at the pool table, and she'd heard every word. "So," she said, grinning at him. "You look like the cat who swallowed the canary."

"I am definitely feeling the Sylvester today," Chimney replied, sitting on the chair by her. "Did you want any details?"

Hen shrugged. "I'm proud, but also annoyed that you were able to keep this a secret," she said. "I thought I knew you better."

"You know me," Chimney shrugged. "You knew something was up, you just didn't think that I could get someone like Maddie Buckley interested in me."

"Hey, I never doubted you, I just doubted her," Hen said. "Come on, she's a divorcee, and a recent one too. Nothing about this screams rebound to you?"

Chimney shook his head. "Maybe it did originally," he said. "Honestly speaking. But we...had a week last week, as I'm sure you noticed. And I'm not afraid anymore."

"Mmhmm," Hen said. "I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm happy for you, Chim. Cautious, but happy."

"You know, worry a little less about me," Chimney said. "And doubt her a little less, hmm?"

"I make no promises about that," Hen said. "And I'll still kick her ass if she breaks your heart."

"Duly noted," Chimney said. "Should I pass that onto her?"

Hen shrugged. "If you like," she grinned. "You know what, if you guys make it to a year, I'll apologize for doubting to her personally."

"You know I'm going to hold you to that, right?" Chimney said.

**Epilogue: One Year Later**

Maddie stood in the bathroom, looking at the stick resting in a cup of liquid, and the timer on her phone. She exhaled when the timer went off, checked the stick, and bit back disappointment.

She wasn't pregnant.

She left the bathroom, to where Chimney was waiting. He smiled at her, but she could see the anxiety in his eyes. "Negative," she said, shrugging.

"We've got next month," he smiled, reaching to pull her in for a hug. She gratefully went to his arms, holding him close.

She was so grateful that they'd made it. After a year together, they'd decided they were okay trying to get pregnant in earnest. She wasn't getting younger, and it was something they both really, really wanted.

She thought back on how crazy the past year had been. She'd ended up telling Buck off for giving Eddie her phone number without asking her; after all, he'd basically tried to set her up with two different coworkers over the course of a few months, both times without asking her.

When the news had gotten around that Maddie was the one Chimney had been seeing, Buck had been made to feel even worse, and she couldn't hold his actions against him. He'd been trying, in his own way, to help her out, and if the results had been different she may have been more frustrated, but as it was…

She'd gotten Chimney out of it, so it had all ended well.

Eddie was an even less complicated variable; he'd admitted later on, after some prodding from Hen, that he hadn't actually been asking Maddie out because he was interested in her. He'd heard she was a nurse, and had thought she'd be interested in helping take care of his son sometimes. Christopher was a great kid, so Maddie wasn't at all offended by that idea, but she did turn that down. Apparently, Buck had misconstrued Eddie's interest, and told him that he couldn't just ask Maddie outright: "You have to befriend her first" or something silly like that.

So that was that, and Eddie had apologized as well for any part he'd played in making her life complicated. "I truly didn't mean to throw a wrench in your relationship with Chimney," he said. "And I'm happy for you guys, he's a great guy."

She leaned back on Chimney's chest, quietly finishing off her recollections.

"Are you disappointed?" She finally asked, saying the words she'd been wanting to say every month, but hadn't wanted to start something she didn't want to hear the answer to.

"I mean, yes," he said, his hand gently stroking her hair. "But like I said, we have next month...and the month after that. There's no real rush, Maddie. We talked to your doctor, and she said we've got a lot more trying to do before we should be thinking about testing."

"I know," she sighed. "I just feel like…I don't know."

"That it should be easier?" He asked.

"I guess I really thought I was pregnant last year," she said. "We haven't even had a scare since then, and I'm just scared."

"Well, we didn't go off contraception again for nine months," he reminded her. "So we've had three months of tries that didn't take, but that doesn't mean we're doing something wrong. Or that something is wrong."

"I guess that's just hard to remember," she admitted. "What if it doesn't happen?"

Chimney was quiet for a few minutes. "You know, I've always wanted to be a dad," he said. "I wanted to give my kids what my dad didn't, I wanted to be there for them in ways he wasn't for me. But especially seeing Hen and Karen foster, and how many babies are dropped off because moms can't take care of them every single day…I'm reminded just how much kids are a gift. They aren't something humans earn, or are entitled to. And there are so many kids who need more, and deserve more...so if it doesn't happen for us, I'd really love to look at adoption. Family doesn't have to be biological."

Her eyes had filled with tears, and she sat up, moving onto her feet to face him. "Thank you for that reminder," she said, kissing his hands. "And you're right. There are so many kids who need love."

He pulled her onto his lap, gently, and kissed her tears away. She cupped his face in her hands, kissing his lips, and pressing her forehead against his as she pulled away.

"I love you," she whispered. "And I want this to happen, but I am so happy to go down any road with you, and to just see what happens."

She looked at the ring sparkling on her finger, and she looked at the man beneath her. She was more than ready to face anything the world had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And with that, I officially hit 50,000 words for November 2020! This month was such a strange mixture of joy and grief for me, but writing throughout all of it was really something I needed to do after five years of not even attempting this challenge. Hope you guys enjoyed coming with me, and enjoyed me being more active even if i STILL didn't update RWotS. Oops ;D ~Meowser


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